Hyderabad is the ‘intellectual capital’ of India: Former AEC chief

He was delivering a lecture at an event organised by the National and Telangana Science Academies, commemorating the golden jubilee of the May 1974 nuclear tests, which were called 'Smiling Buddha', at ICMR-IICT Hyderabad on Wednesday.

"It was in 1967 that Dr Raja Ramanna asked me to work on peaceful nuclear explosions (PNEs). At that time, there was scant literature on PNEs in the open domain. The difference between a nuclear weapon and a PNE device is in the delivery system and packaging,” Dr Chidambaram said.

“The size doesn't matter for a PNE device (up to a point). The excitement reached its peak when we had a successful PNE experiment on May 18, 1974. There were two important criteria for our PNE. First, because of the obligations under the Partial Test Ban Treaty, we had to do the test underground. Second, we had to ensure the experiment did not vent any radioactivity.”

“Dr Ramanna also wanted me to find a credible application—I suggested fracturing underground copper ore and recovering copper value by sending in dilute sulfuric acid. This was presented by us at the first meeting on PNEs organized by the IAEA in Vienna in 1970," Dr Chidambaram recalled.

He noted that it was a momentous occasion for India to independently test nuclear applications without help from developed countries. It was a moment of extreme pride for everyone, he said. "Our 1974 PNE experiment established the methodology for implementing applications. The May 1998 tests were weapon tests. Nuclear weapon knowledge was being shared by Russia and the US with other countries, whereas India stood alone. Nonetheless, we built everything from scratch, indigenously," he said.

Referring to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals of ‘clean and affordable energy’, he highlighted the major direct impact that nuclear energy has on per capita energy consumption and female literacy.

"Energy security is essential and electricity consumption must grow in India, keeping in mind the concern for climate change. Female literacy correlates inversely with infant mortality and birth rate," Dr Chidambaram said.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, he acknowledged that having a scientific temperament is important, even though nuclear energy is often linked with politics and economics.

"Firstly, without thinking of nuclear power, you must decide, do you want power? If poverty is to be eradicated, you must increase your per capita electricity consumption. The resources available to us include a reasonable amount of coal but it causes global warming. Hence, we look at net zero emissions and express the desire to use renewable energy resources. We should also learn methods for energy storage. Towards this, taking strong decisions is important and having risk-taking leaders is essential," he said.

He also emphasised that nuclear energy is one of the cleanest and safest options available to expand energy production multifold. The accuracy and precision could not have been achieved without the efforts put in by the entire team.

In his address, Dr Komal Kapoor, chairman and chief executive of Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), said that nuclear energy was of key importance to ensure robust energy security and India was the third most favoured destination for nuclear energy investments. The country faced many challenges in achieving net zero emissions at present and needed smart investments in nuclear energy, which could expand up to $10 trillion. He added that NFC acted as a vital link in the nuclear programme as it met the fuel requirements of all nuclear reactors.